double bar x3
From the gentle rise of tilled-rubble walls to the patterning of open meadowland, the area surrounding Aspen bears the marks of an agrarian past. At the Double Bar X residential community, land that now caters to the contemporary ranch-dweller once supported an array of agricultural activities complete with human-sculpted earthworks and diversions that are still evident in the preserved homestead and primary meadow that now serve as communal amenities.
At one site, DBX3, these historical tracings are further celebrated in the landscape through the layout of programming, the establishment of borders and edges, site circulation, plantings, and the management of water on site. In the design of each of these elements, the challenge for Bluegreen was to ensure that the design intent, materials and textures honor the latent history of the site while embracing its contemporary context. What evolved is an expression of thoughtful transition from active ranch to family-oriented respite that offers a novel interpretation of the agrarian homestead.
Architecture: Poss Architecture + Planning
DBX3 is the recipient of the 2014 Colorado Chapter of the ASLA merit award.
project type: residential, site planning, landscape architecture
location: aspen, colorado
client: withheld by request
photo credit: marion brenner